Tag Archives: ming campbell

First day and a half at Brighton

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Arrived Recording my conference webcastin Brighton for conference on Saturday and rushed for briefing by Ming. Then walk out to seafront on Ming’s right arm to greet the media. The media are interested in tax – are we giving up our much loved 50p policy? – and Charles – how will his speech on Tuesday go? Ming gave a good answer – ‘there will be no clapometer’ and he robustly defended parties having real debates on substantive issues without them being “high noon” for the leadership. It’s obviously not a competition and Charles is one of our stars so I expect Charles will lay out some ideas – at least that is what I hope, as that is one of his great strengths.

And lastly – top of the pops for media questions – is this conference a test of Ming’s leadership?

Well – every conference is a test of leadership. Ming will do a good job. He is very charming, intelligent and oozes integrity from every pore – but there’s no doubt that all eyes will be upon him. That’s leadership!

Both Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning see me and the rest of the Home Affairs Team (Nick Clegg and Mark Hunter) holding special sessions. The one on the Saturday with us as a team being there for our party members to question, raise issues, tell us the party’s policies and issues that they feel need addressing and inform us what they think of how the Home Affairs Team is doing!

Today’s session was a more formal consultation on the consultation paper on crime produced by the crime working group chaired by Graham Tope – my former London Assembly and Metropolitan Police Authority colleague. Crime and anti-social behaviour remain the key issues – not Labour’s endless headlines and talk about being tough, but for Lib Dems it’s what works that matters. Rhetoric doesn’t make out streets safer.

First thing this morning I did my first webcast from conference. This is a new ‘feature’ during the Lib Dem conference with daily feeds from Ming, Duncan Brack (Chair of Conference) and myself each doing a minute or two filming to go up on the party website so that members can have a taste of what each of us makes of what’s going on.

Party conference

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Off to Liberal Democrat conference today! What do I expect – other than being very busy! Well – outside of the media terming us ‘economic’ or ‘social liberals’ – their favourite sport will be will Kennedy come back and will Ming be merciless, but what I hope is that we will debate and decide policies on a whole range of issues which really matter. And the Lib Dem conference debates are still real – speeches sway votes, decisions made are followed and outcomes aren’t fixed in advance.

The one that will hit the news is the tax debate. It will be termed as to whether we ‘lose’ our old plans for a 50p on higher taxes debate. As a long time fan of the 50p rate I have followed the plans pretty carefully that propose scrapping them. (There’s been a lively debate at the new LibDemVoice website which gives a good flavour of some of the issues).

First let it be said – that the new proposals and the old ones are both redistributive, fairer etc etc. But the new proposal lifts swathes of people out of tax altogether, is far more redistributive and begins the real shift from taxing good things (like work) to taxing bad things (like pollution).

We lose the totemic 50p higher rate – but we gain what I really want – which is a fairer system that without raising taxes redistributes the tax burden better and tackles climate change.

So I am intending to vote for the policy and against the amendment that proposes retention of another similar version of our 50p. Unless the debate changes my views: after all, I am a sentient human being and there would be no point in having the debate if one could not be persuaded by arguments as yet unthought of. I know – shock horror. Not rigid. Not whipped and capable of thinking for myself.

PS I am being one of the “guinea pigs” for a set of video diaries during conference, along with Ming Campbell and Conference Committee Chair, Duncan Brack. Will be interesting to see how this works – so watch this space!

The US and extradition

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Ming played a blinder today at Prime Minister’s Questions. He went on the unequal arrangements we have with the US about extradition. They can extradite who they like from us with just evidence that the person they want is the person they want. No evidence required about the quality of the case or charges against them. On the other hand, if we want to extradite someone from the US to here – different rules apply. We have to provide evidence that there is a good case for them to answer.

So the simple question is – if that’s what we have to do to extradite someone from the US, why don’t the same rules (and protection) apply to someone the US wants to get from here? To add insult to injury the US hasn’t even ratified the extradition agreement with the UK under which they can extradite people from the UK.

Tony B is on the back foot and it is Ming’s best performance to date!

One of our local councillors contacts me to say that the organisers of the biggest Muslim event in Europe, which will be held at Ally Pally tomorrow, have asked if I would like to be on the platform. I would love to – but with such late notice sadly I cannot go as I have been put down for a debate in Parliament at exactly the opening time. So I have sent a message that I hope will be read saying: ‘I am so sorry that Parliamentary business prevents me being here in person. I welcome everyone to Alexandra Palace for this momentous event. In these difficult times, I wish all communities peace and good will. We share this world – and we all have a right to respect and peace.’ It will be quite an occasion!

Bromley by-election

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Wow! Stunning result in Bromley and Chislehurst. A big boost for the party to come so close (agonisingly close!) to winning what was one of the very safest Conservative seat in the country.

For us the lesson is fairly simple – it’s a shame that Ben Abbotts didn’t quite make it, but it was a fantastic result for him and the team. Also good news for Ming Campbell – he campaigned heavily in the seat.

But for the Tories – it’s a real dilemma I think. Clearly the Cameron message is not going down well with their core support. They should have been romping home in a safe seat like Bromley. When I was campaigning there, it certainly looked like the sort of place that is very Conservative. Not any more!

Now off to a weekend meeting of the Government’s Community Development Foundation (I’m a trustee) to see how the development of community cohesion is going and can be worked on. It seems from the outside like a very New Labour approach – but will be interesting to see from the inside how it’s going and whether that’s really the case.

One part of the overall agenda is the looking at the community empowerment network. Having handed out the cheques in Haringey to various voluntary groups as part of this scheme, I have been wondering how the success or otherwise of these payments is tracked. Will be interesting to see!

Prime Minister's Questions

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Prime Ministers Questions (PMQs) sees Cameron flounder for about the third week running while Ming does good. He goes on the dreadful situation in Palestine. Why oh why doesn’t Tony Blair roll up his sleeves and work at the Middle East situation the way he did for Northern Ireland? The political will of Blair and Bush just doesn’t seem to be there to sort this out. The people of both Palestine and Israel deserve peace. It is the people who have been completely let down by the rulers – now and before. If the USA and we have muscle – then for goodness sake use it to force the road map through to peace before more generations grow up in fear or poverty and hatred.

After PMQs I am leading on the front bench on a Statutory Instrument on the floor of the House. They are usually done in committees but this is about bringing into being detention without charge for 28 days. It’s the issue on which we defeated the government’s push for 90 days. There has been a delay until now because Dominic Grieve (a Tory) suggested that we needed a new code to cover the treatment of those being detained under this new order.

It has taken the Government all this time to come up with it. Considering the indecent rush with which they pushed to get the time without charge extended, it is a bit of a rum do.

We are all supporting the code, but I raise issues around how this is likely to affect a community (the Muslim community) which is already extremely tender from the mistaken crude associations that some people make that Muslim = terrorist. Anyway, the Minister acknowledges the points I raise – and the statute is made.

Ming Campbell on crime

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Had to change my schedule around to be at Ming’s crime speech. I thought Ming did a good job on it – and was disappointed by the leader in the Independent which slags him off and the Lib Dems for not standing up for Liberalism. Bollocks! Press slag us off for being soft on crime and then when we state our credentials more aggressively – slag us off anyway. I do think we should take the world on our terms and I am for going out and being far more bold on our stance. I am convinced that we actually hold the intellectual and policy keys to making the world a better place – which is why both the other parties continually steal or try to steal our territory. It is irksome to see Cameron getting the coverage he does for doing sweet FA other than ride a bicycle with his shoe chauffer in attendance. He ought to have been slaughtered for that.

Then an afternoon of other peoples’ problems at surgery at Wood Green Library. The BBC ‘See Hear’ team arrive to film me after surgery as they are doing more in depth coverage of the Blanche Nevile School for Deaf Children story.

Haringey Council would like to make out that we (the governors, teachers and me) have all made a fuss about nothing – that there was never any intention to close Blanche Nevile. Fly in the Council ointment of course is the letter in my possession from Sharon Shoesmith (Director of Children’s’ Services) to Judy Downey (Chair of Governors) stating in black and white that the school is financially vulnerable and that there is a proposal to integrate the deaf teaching into Highgate Primary and Fortismere and to possibly close Blanche Nevile. I rest my case.

Actually, it is fine by me. I am more than happy to have upped the ante on this – now that the Council has been forced to publicly state that the school won’t close – mission accomplished. They might not admit they’ve back-tracked, but the key thing is – they have, and that will be good news for the children and parents who rely on the school.

Ming Campbell visits Haringey

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Menzies Campbell MP launches Haringey local election campaign

Ming comes to launch our local election campaign in Haringey – where we have a real chance to take Haringey Council after 35 years of Labour rule. The Leader coming confirms this position!

I and Neil Williams (LibDem Council Group Leader) meet Ming at Harringay station. He arrives at 9.15am on the dot. I love people who are on time and organised. We go to the Tottenham side of the station – to Harringay ward – to photograph Ming with the Harringay candidates and then to the Hornsey & Wood Green side for photographs with the Stroud Green candidates. Both sides are to emphasize our campaign for CCTV on the scary entrances both sides of the bridge.

Ming (Sir Menzies Campbell to give him full title) is looking very dapper and smart. We proceed to the campaign HQ at The Three Compasses where Ming will launch our campaign, meet local members and activists (all stuffing envelopes – and boy there are a lot to stuff) and do one-to-one interviews with the journalists covering his visit.

One of the journos lets it be known that a hastily scrambled together ‘launch’ by Labour Minister Hazel Blears is now to take place at 11am same day having heard about Ming’s visit. I know Labour are terrified of losing the Council – but please!

If it’s true – then Hazel (who is my opposite number as I am her Shadow Minister) will do her duty and attack the LibDems and me as usual. It doesn’t matter which way we vote on anything – be it the police budget at the GLA or the Violent Crime Reduction Bill.

We supported the funding for the police and the Violent Crime Reduction Bill – but whatever we say or do – Labour’s mantra is always the same and always untrue. In politics, as opposed to pretty much every other walk of life, lying is just shrugged at and you are just meant to grin and put up with it – but I think that is why politics is in the state it is in – because people can’t be sure that what they read is the truth.

I know I digress – but there is an absurd letter going out in Stroud Green. It purports to be from a Bernard E who lives in Stapleton Hall Road (curiously there’s no-one with the first name Bernard on the electoral register in that road). It basically attacks me for supposedly being a known right winger and supporter of the Orange Book. (A think tank book of essays and ideas by LibDems – one of which was a ‘right-wing’ suggestion about funding in the NHS – thrown out robustly by the party at the following conference).

This would make the party laugh – as that is hardly my reputation or position in the political spectrum. Anyway – there are two versions – one with a Labour imprint and one without (although election law requires all leaflets to have an imprint) – and the writer says he is an old friend of one of the Labour candidates, though doesn’t mention that said person is already a councillor in another ward but was deselected by the Labour party there and so has had to find another ward to stand in.

I mention all this because – whilst we are standing at Harringay Station with Ming – a man comes up to Lib Dem Cllr Laura Edge and me and asks if we have seen this anonymous (in the sense there is no surname and no address) letter going out and how awful it is and how obviously a Labour smear letter. I am heartened by the public’s ability to see through this type of rubbish.

What is odd about the attacks on me is that I am not even a candidate in the local elections as I am stepping down after eight years as a local councillor and five as Leader of the Opposition. But I know that for Labour (and the defunct Tories who have no seats on the council at all) I am a symbol of all of their troubles and political losses.

So at the Three Compasses and into the working room where the stuffing tables are. A big cheer from quite a crowd gathered there and Ming delivers a rallying speech to encourage the troops – as does Neil. Ming clearly thinks we can do it – if we do the work between now and polling day.

Then the series of one-to-ones with reporters. Ming is in fine form – and truly a professional. Interviews over – a couple of members take him for a short tour and then off to Euston to get a train to Manchester for the next big launch. The cry is that we will make great gains across the board – more votes, more councillors and more councils!

Straight back down to earth and surgery at Jacksons Lane Community Centre. Run into Melanie – the Director – who is in happy mode as Haringey ‘found’ the funding to save the centre. I knew they would. Having made it explicit that I would turn this into an election issue if they didn’t I think that may have played a part in focusing their attention on resolving the matter quickly and before the election got under way – although they will undoubtedly claim that had nothing to do with it. That’s where politics works! A situation where Haringey has ignored or not responded on such an important matter – and suddenly with a political spotlight about to shine and me poking my nose in – then things happen.

I remember a similar thing when Labour Haringey wanting to close Muswell Hill library. But the library campaigners, local residents and the LibDems turned it around – with the fortuitous advent of a local ward by-election at that very moment.

In the evening I go to meet Linda Alliston who leads the Coldfall Woods Group. There have been huge problems with gangs of youths on motor bikes ‘buzzing’ dogs and walkers and then burning their no doubt stolen bikes. There is raw sewage (long term problem) being fed into the stream.

The solution to the bikes is to make the woods and football pitches secured by ‘kissing’ gates so that motorbikes can’t enter. For this they need to access the Section 106 money (£500k) from the Lynx Depot development. Cllr Martin Newton (Lib Dem, Fortis Green) comes with me and he has already secured a promise that they would have no problem with a bid for the gates – so they need to write in and I will support that bid. Also – Martin has got the new Safer Neighbourhood police team (which is just in place) to agree that they will come and look at how they can tackle the youth/bike problem.

In the meantime however, Haringey needs to deal with the perennial dumping – and to notify the allotment owners and houses (whether Haringey or Barnet) that back onto Muswell Hill playing field that throwing their BBQ waste over into the fields is not acceptable behaviour. Sadly, there’s an anti-social minority who do this. The good folk who love the fields and the woods have two major clear-ups a year.

Anyway – it was nice to meet the group who look after and love the fields and the woods – a wonderful local amenity – and Martin will pursue the issues and I will also be writing to support the case.

Go back to campaign HQ for a last hour of stuffing envelopes to sooth me down to sleep mode!

Promotion

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In the early evening, I get a message on my phone from Ming to say that he would like me to stay in the Home Affairs team as I had requested and would like me to be No2 (that’s one up from before!) – Deputy Shadow Home Secretary. Plus I get to keep the policing portfolio – so am delighted.

The business of the day is the ID cards debate on the Lords amendments. Starting for parliamentary procedure I don’t understand at 10pm which is when we usually finish on a Monday. The argument now is over the Government’s ridiculous assertion that the requirement to have a passport (with which you have to have an identity card) is voluntary. I should take Charles Clarke to a border and make him cross it without a passport. I’d love to see him arguing with the border guard that it is ‘voluntary’ as to whether you have a passport or not. Labour have gone completely mad. It was Nick Clegg’s debut proper speech as our Shadow Home Secretary – and he did really well. Nevertheless – the Government won by around 33 votes. The argument now goes back to the Lords where I hope they sling it out again. Of course – what will finally put a nail in the coffin will be the cost and how unpopular that it nearing an election. Bastards!

I also have to write an article on Education for the Ham & High Education Supplement – despite getting home very late – it’s not over ’til it’s over!

And my emails tell me that I have been nominated for the New Statesman New Media Awards for my website.

Good night!

Coroner troubles

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First thing over to City Hall for private briefing on Operation Minstead. It was basically the same presentation that I had had some while back – and still they haven’t got their man. They are still painstakingly sifting through lists and lists of possible persons of interest. And all the DNA trawl in the world hasn’t yielded up the perpetrator. Will it ever? Leave in a rush as I have my session with Ming at 11.15am.

I go in and up to the office where Ming is ensconced with Archie Kirkwood – his political adviser. We have a very good discussion I thought. There is a little awkwardness around our different sides in the leadership election, but that’s natural. More interestingly I get a chance to discuss where I might want to be in the future and also, more importantly, to bung my two pennies in on the organisation and campaigning aspects of the Liberal Democrats. Hopefully they will let me keep policing!

At lunchtime, I go to a meeting where three women (partners or parents) of someone who has died have had the most appalling and tragic experience and the most horrific mistreatment by a coroner. It seems to me from the evidence presented that there is plenty of reason for a public enquiry into the cases that appear to have been so poorly, or negligently handled. Watch this space.

And out on the campaign trail knocking on doors for a good session – which restored my soul. It was so good, and happy and people were just nice, nice, nice.

PS If you watched Question Time tonight you will have noticed that Nick Clegg who I was bumped in favour of, was not there. On Tuesday or Wednesday this week – QT had decided they wanted to change back to me. Unfortunately, by this time I had made another arrangement. So they bumped Nick in favour of Jean Lambert, Green MEP. C’est la vie!

Ming Campbell's conference speech

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Ming’s speech is the big event of the day.

It was, once again, motivating and uplifting and he started with a really good line. He said, “For those of you don’t expect me to be here too long, I have a worrying statistic for you. The previous Ming dynasty lasted for 276 years”!

Got back to London around 8.30pm and have to write speech for tomorrow’s second reading of the Police Justice Bill – and that’s a whole ‘nother story.